I shouldn't have to tell you why this is so important—it might not be hyperbole to say that space travel is essential to mankind's survival. And while private companies are starting to explore space, NASA remains the foremost space exploration agency in the world.

A movement called Penny4Nasa has started to end its funding problem. You can see a video about why NASA is so important here.

I'd like to encourage you all to sign this petition (you'll have to register, but this is a cause that merits it) and visit this site for more information.

If earthly problems are more of an issue, then we should be worrying about the $170billion spent on defense, not the %1 wanted for NASA. Besides, the money spent on NASA goes to new technology, which has benefits right here on earth.

If earthly problems are more of an issue, then we should be worrying about the $170billion spent on defense, not the %1 wanted for NASA. Besides, the money spent on NASA goes to new technology, which has benefits right here on earth.

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As a matter of fact, that's just the Air Force. The military in general gets almost 700 billion.

Increasing NASA's budget to 1% will have no appreciable impact on how well we can respond to "Earthly problems". In addition, space exploration provides or is important to a solution—in some cases perhaps the only solution—to a number of those problems, including overpopulation, energy production, and waste disposal.

However, even without that, NASA should get more money. Because NASA is a symbol of science and technology. When NASA landed on the moon, who wasn't awed? And, to use a cliché, how many watching children decided they wanted to become scientists?

Uhhh, maybe we should worry a little more about the earthly problems in this country right now.

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Seconded. There's a lot more going on right now that needs attention. Nasa will have to wait on this one.

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We had far, far greater "earthly problems" in the 1960s and we sent men to the moon.[/QUOTE]
We sent men to the moon for more political reason than scientific reasons. It's no coincidence we stopped going after we "won".